JUBILANT fans hailed Roy Keane and Niall Quinn as Sunderland clinched promotion to football's Premiership without kicking a ball.
Just eight months after the team were rock-bottom of the Championship and a year after the club was relegated as the worst-ever Premiership side it is heading back to the top-flight.
Derby County, rivals in the fight for one of the two Championship automatic promotion places, lost 2-0 yesterday away to Crystal Palace, leaving them four points behind Sunderland with only one game to play.
In typical understated fashion Keane learnt of the promotion by text message while out walking his dog Triggs.
Club chairman Quinn planned to open the champagne last night and said: "It's a terrific time for the people of Sunderland.
"There will be immense pride around the city tonight."
For full in-depth coverage of and reaction to the Black Cats promotion see Monday's Northern Echo.
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